Frequently Asked Questions

How is the data presented?
The format depends on the number of students participating in the survey. For the YRBS, if there are less than 100 students, the school will only receive raw data, which are straight frequencies of the number of students responding to each question.

For more than 100 students, attempts will be made to collapse data and to analyze by gender. If there are enough students responding per question, we will put the data into a shortened version of the YRBS presentation comparing the school data to national numbers.

For schools with more than 150 students participating, attempt will be made to analyze by both gender and grade, then put the responses into a Power Point presentation with national comparisons.

** With all three formats, responses to some questions may be omitted in order to protect the privacy of the few students that responded.

Is there a minimum number of students a school must have in order to conduct the YRBS?
There is no absolute minimum, but experience in analysis shows that fewer than 150 students creates problems when trying to analyze results by grade, gender, etc.

Do the county contacts and county health department also receive the survey results?
The data belongs to the school. Results will be returned to the County Contact to then return to the school. Before participating, the school signed an MOU agreeing to share results with the county health department so they are able to retain a copy. But final survey results can not be released by the county health department without further permission from the schools.

Does OSDH compare a school’s YRBS results from previous years with their current YRBS results?
Requests for the survey have grown to where we are not currently able to offer to run a second analysis or prepare two presentations for schools based upon previous data.

Does OSDH attend public meetings upon request to answer questions the public may have regarding YRBS data?
Currently the state is offering: survey supplies, data analysis, and technical support. That support no longer includes having staff from the state come out to individual counties and schools to give presentations. Training sessions were offered in attempts to help those who serve as County Contacts to take over the roles of giving presentations and working at the local level, with the schools, to research and/or develop resources to address the areas of concern highlighted by the survey data. Any questions that a County Contact is not able to answer can be referred to the YRBS Coordinator.

Last revised: December 4, 2003

Contact Information:
Child and Adolescent Health Division
1000 Northeast Tenth Street, Rm. 903
Oklahoma City, OK 73117-1299
Phone: (405) 271-4471
e-mail: James M. Marks, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.